


Swords and Shields

by Topemoha



Series: Swords and Shields [1]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Carol Danvers/James "Rhodey" Rhodes - Freeform, Earl Tony Stark, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Inspired by England late 12th century/early 13th, Male-Female Friendship, Marriage of Convenience, Middle Ages, No magic either, Not Beta Read, One Shot, POV Tony Stark, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Political Alliances, Protective James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Protective Pepper Potts, most of them - Freeform, so many
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-30
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2020-02-10 07:47:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18656062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Topemoha/pseuds/Topemoha
Summary: After the sudden death of his parents and his brothers, 16-years-old Tony Stark ends up the sole heir of his family. Thrust into a world he was ill-prepared for, he swore to build back his House name to its former glory.





	Swords and Shields

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: Major characters death. (mentioned)  
> Relationship : Mostly friendship but established relationship through political alliances   
> The ONLY couple in love with each other is Carol/Rhodey  
> Additional mention : Not Earth nor Westeros. This is another universe, inspired very loosely by England history in the late 12th century/early 13th century. No Magic, no powers.   
> Additional mention 2: Janet named has been changed for Jeanette, and Reed Richards has become Richard (first name) to fit the era.

Anthony smiled courteously at his dance partner, bowing to her before they both turned toward the couple facing them. The steps, drilled into him as a young child by his dance teacher cane may come to him easily, thanks to his excellent memory, but that wasn’t enough.A delicate tilt of the head, a stately demeanour at all time, a smile gracing his features as he bounced from one partner to another, he was as he needed to be: the perfect image of high nobility. 

It was a game of appearance, and Anthony was one of the most skilled player. He had over two decades of experience after all. 

Circle dance were supposed to be amusing but it has been years since he had enjoyed them. The lady in front of him blushed prettily as he hold her hand. He  shot her an impish smirk, knowing he was indeed standing far too close to her than what was proper.

Anthony didn’t care about what was proper and what wasn’t. He was both too old to be admonished by someone, and  too important for anyone to even dare  ** _think_** about it. Those were the benefits of being related to the royal family, albeit distantly. The time he would have been caned for his impertinence was long gone.  

 

He walked the four steps needed to reach the dancer mirroring him and held out his right hand, as the dance required. He  moved toward his new dancing companion,a lithe brunette shorter than him by at least a foot, that he recognized immediately. 

Hope Pym.

She looked at him with what he knew was practiced indifference and he smirked mockingly. Her lip curled in barely concealed disdain. 

Their families had been at odds ever since Bradley Pym had been denied the hand of the Van Dyne heiress for his oldest son. The Pym had not taken well to see the Stark being preferred to them. And what had started as what they perceived as an offence to their honour, only grew sourer when said heir,Henry, ended up falling for the charms and wits of a 17 years old Jeanette Van Dyne. 

Young Hope had already been born back then. 

Nevertheless, Henry had been filled with anger and  resentment at what he thought had been stolen from him, and Anthony who did not appreciate being treated with contempt and made a mockery of by the older man, made sure to often remind him with pleased vindictiveness and malice who the young woman’s husband and lord was. 

Jeanette sudden death turned their dislike of each other into deep-rooted hatred and explosive fury. The young woman had passed away in childbirth, newborn son following suit few days later. Henry still  blamed him for the tragedy.

Anthony felt a wave of sadness wash over him,as always when he thought about her. They hadn’t loved each other, but they had both cared deeply for one other. It had been a political alliance. In a world where passion was an ideal that only existed in poems and myths of Old Age, amity had been the best they both could have hoped for.  

Their son and her’s passing had been the last of a series of tragedies surrounding the Earl’s life.

He had been 16 at the time of his parents unexpected death, young and spirited, a mettlesome man who had been eager to prove himself to the world and his family.

His parents had fallen prey to a deadly sickness that killed them in less than a week, first his mother and then his father. His younger brother, sweet Peter, had died in his arms, delirious with fever and chocking on his own blood. The poor boy suffering had lasted a whole month and neither he nor their older brother  Richard had been able to help him. 

Then, few months later Anthony had received a letter announcing him of his new status as head of the family, in light of his last sibling demise.Richard, his wife Susan, and their two children had all drowned in a shipwreck accident. 14 years old John, Susan’s younger brother had perished with them. 

House of Storm was extinct.

During these trying times,Jeanette had been his rock. Betrothed to him when they were both still only babes, they had gotten married as soon as they had been of age.   And Anthony could not deny that he hadn’t been able to make his late wife very happy for a good part of their marital life. Disheartened by his stream of thoughts, he bowed out of the dance. He wanted very much to leave and go back to his quarter but the noble man knew Harold and Virginia would be very crossed if he did. He had promised to come, and show support to the Hogans. Not only were they his  most loyal vassals and he had an obligation toward them, but most importantly they were his friends. 

And he had far too few of those in this world. 

Instead, the Earl took place at the main table, few seats away from the hosts and started to partake of the food and drink laid out in front of him. They didn't offer any comfort to his now sombre mood and the yearning of his heart.

Anthony knew he should not  thinking about the past, and it never did him any good to remember that time. However, he couldn't stop now and he didn't want either. Jeanette should have been here, twirling in a beautiful gown, the center of all attention as she had loved to be.

The countess had always been a formidable woman, even in her young age.

While he had been busy trying to keep his head above water,as new responsibilities had been thrown at him leaving him no time to properly mourn, Jeanette had been exemplary. When he had been over-viewing the details of the estates and their inhabitants,she had been tending to the castles and people’s needs. When he had meet with messengers and Lords vassals, she had taken seat next to him, the image of grace and pride that nobility both admired and feared in a woman.  
  
They had presented a strong united front, heirs of two most noble houses.  

They had to.They were at a disadvantage.

Anthony was never supposed to be the heir and everyone had known it. Like many second sons, knighthood had been his destiny. The birth of his nephew had only reasserted that.   
  
In wake of the tragedies that had befallen his family, he had been thrown into a role he had been ill-prepared for. 

To keep his power, he had needed his vassals to pledge themselves to him, as they did to his father and ancestors. However, he had only had his name in his favor,and his family legacy. His youth had been against him and loosing his earldom had been at risk.Though an hereditary title, the king could prevent its transfer, if he so wishes.

It had been a very worrisome time .Though old enough to inherit and be appointed Lord and Lady of the House, they had been far too young in people’s eyes to be taken seriously. To his horror, Anthony had also discovered the extent of his father debts. Richard had tried to pay back part of them, but Peter’s sudden illness and their desperation to save him had made their finances dire. The funerals had only added to that.    
  
 Not even the Van Dyne money could help them.

 

Anthony had to write to their creditors, using all his skills and smart to cajole them into believing payment would be made in time, when he hadn’t even been sure he could have payed them back someday. He had to meet personally with merchant bankers and the foreign banking houses. Thankfully, by the skin of his teeth, he had secured a temporary agreement with them. It hadn’t been perfect, far from it, and he had agreed to far more things than he would have liked or should have accepted.He now knew how much the banking families had swindled him. Back then though, he had arrogantly believed he had managed to beguile them.   

Yet, it hadn’t been enough.

Anthony hadn’t been naive to believe rumors of their financial situation had not traveled through the kingdom and James Rhodes, his milk brother and closest friend, had attested to it. Thankfully a letter patent had been issued in the meantime. 

He had been granted earldom.  

By title alone, Earl and Countess Stark ranked among the highest degree of nobility, just below the king and princes. Though it would assure them respect by all, and loyalty of some vassals by sheer virtue of earldom and name, most of those who had paid homage to his father and brother would not follow suit. They could be tempted to pledge reverence and submission to another noble house,transferring armed force and power to them. 

A status was not enough. Lords needed financial worth to align themselves under the Stark. Creditors needed tangible evidence of power as another guaranty for the extended loans they had granted. 

And the young Earl had seemingly neither. 

Under the guise of mourning, Anthony had taken drastic measures. With the king’s permission, the household had retreated to one of the Stark family castle, far from the preying eyes. A large part of the servants had been dismissed. Only those who had proven to be loyal to them remained.  

Once the mourning period had went by, to the curious and scheming lords and ladies who had to come visit they had offered the image of wealth using the money granted to them by the banking families. This game of appearance and pretense had been delicate and had required help from two of Anthony closest friends, Lady Virginia and Lord James. They had to carefully spread rumors of the Stark abundance and influence. It had to be enough to confuse their fellow lords about contradictory rumors but not enough that more powerful people, and particularly the king,would feel threatened by their power. 

And while on the outside House of Stark seemed striving, making a real show of opulence, in private things were much more dire. If no guest was in the castle, candles were rationed, food on the table was much less varied, they would refuse wandering minstrels.Traveling to meet other nobles solely for leisure resulting in far more expenditure than the household could afford  they had also started to refuse most invitations, feigning long distance; isolating themselves.

Jeanette had taken it all in stride, never blaming him. Not when their expenses had been severely reduced,nor when she had to say goodbye to everything and everyone she loved to follow her inadequate spouse. In the safe haven of their home, she had made conscious efforts to help him.The young countess had been far more gracious toward him than he deserved. It had shamed him  at times he felt particularly embittered by their frugal life to see all around him proofs of her endeavours. It had also inspired him to work even harder to bring them back to what she thought she married into, to get her a better social and financial position than what she thought she had been betrothed to.

That was not to say Jeanette had never complained. She had been no saint and it had been hard on both of them. The young woman had her temper. She had been fiery, unyielding and proud as a peacock. Though one of the kindest person he had known and loyal to a fault,in her rage Jeanette could also be positively beastly. Their arguments had been scarce, but terrible. 

The young Earl had known since the beginning that he needed her far more than she needed him. And she had known it too. Had the countess been born a male, she would have been a formidable head of house and, dare he say?,ruler.

So she had complained. She had complained, and at times had brood for hours. Yet she had never  blamed him.Years passed, and she never blamed him not  even once despite all his expectations on the subject. 

One day in the heat of a quarrel, as she was starring at him red-cheeked in her anger, all the ferocious rage of a 17 years old unleashed at the person who had dared offend her, he had suddenly asked her.  

Although it had been more than a decade ago, he remembered that day vividly. 

She had been visibly startled. He had repeated his question, but if anything Jeanette had looked only more confused. Anthony’s own anger had by then deflated,leaving him only with a feeling of shame and powerlessness. As silence had stretched between them, the young lord had let himself fall into a nearby chair, his face hidden in his hands, unable to look any longer at his younger and more capable wife. 

Light steps had resonated on stoned floor, before he had felt Jeanette delicate fingers circle up his wrist, forcing him to look at her. 

“I would never blame you.” She had said softly, no trace of previous fury in her voice.” All of this is not your fault,”she had added as her hands moved to hold his own .”You didn’t do any of this, you didn’t ask for this. You didn’t trick me into this wedding and since then you have worked hard to get us out of this situation. Does this mean I am currently at peace? No. This, this isn’t what I was promised, this isn’t what my family had been promised. I do not like it, I despise it with every fiber of my soul. I’m a Van Dyne. This shameful situation .... I do not like it. But I do not  ** _not_**  like you. “

“You should. And you should blame me..I have done you no good. If you had been with anyone else, with Lord Pym for one...”

‘’ You are far more permissive toward me, than our peers would ever be, Henry included.And if my honour is hurt,and my pride wounded my spirit is not abated. You let me free to speak and act as I please,you value my opinion and my thoughts. I do not regret marrying you.I am happy to be with  ** _you_** ” she had said  assertively, tugging at a lock of his shoulder-length hair when he had tried to speak.”That does not mean I won’t from time to time resent this life. I will argue with you, I will complain to you, and I will be very cross with you. But I won’t ever resent you.  You are a good husband, Anthony. And you may be my Lord by God and our parents’ will, my commander by our kingdom’s law but you are my dearest friend by my own volition and as such, you have my entire devotion.”

Taking hold of her hands, he had kissed fervently her palms and wrists hoping it would at least convey all he could not say. Finally with deference, he had said :

“And you have mine and my adoration.And I swear to you, I swear to you as God is my witness on this day, my Lady, I will not rest until we are back to our former glory, until our family names, the Stark and the Van Dyne, shine more brightly than the stars in the sky... _Familia et Virtute_ , .” He had whispered with ardor; the Van Dyne motto. 

“  _We are made of Iron_.” Jeanette had replied.

Both of their houses motto intertwined as were their destinies. 

Or so they had thought.

The pain from the loss of his family never went away, but few years after their passing, thanks to some clever investments and the secret sales of his own inventions, the Stark family had risen again far and above, conjointly with the Van Dyne’s name. By the time Anthony had been 22, his personal wealth had exceeded the one his father had originally gathered. Thus, Stark power had expanded, and their shared wealth had soared making both Lady and Lord Stark as much admired as they were feared by their peers.At last.

Jeanette and Anthony had been truly happy.

Their happiness though had been short-lived. The countess had died, few days shy of her 23rd birthday. And this time, the young man whole world collapsed. 

To this day, Anthony had no recollection of the first 3 months following her death. He couldn’t even remember the funeral, let alone even attending it, though he knew he did.

His memories of that period were hazy at best. He could only recall the rich colored liquids in his glass, and the feeling of pain dulled by an excess of wine.

What the Earl knew of his behavior back then was mostly what he had been told by various sources. 

He had spiraled, drinking himself to death and whoring around with men and women alike, cursing God and all gods above. And to those who had tried to stop him or reason with he would either attempt to duel them, or would shout at them. He would scream and repeat he that had no use staying strong when everyone in his family had been taken away from him, that he had no reason to believe in a cruel and vindictive god whose only pleasure seemed to punish him...

He had made a complete spectacle of himself.

He also knew that if it hadn’t been for Virginia and James, he would have gone mad with grief. Or certainly arrested and hanged on ground of blasphemy.

They had made him leave his lands, forcing him to retreat once again. There, in the company of only his closest friends, they had tried to heal him. 

And they succeeded if only partially, and life went by as he was reinstated in his castle and his own power.

One thing never changed though: his marital status.

Despite being still young and very much in demand, he had never remarried. Now at 31, incidentally the same age Richard had died, he was an oddity for the other lords as he had remained not only a widower, but with no heir. Deep in his heart the Earl knew this couldn't go on. 

The honor of his house demanded it. The king commanded it.  

This had to be dealt with, even if part of him still feared  Lord Pym had been right, and he was cursed by Death.

“ _Truly a pity I can’t grant heirship to one of Carol and James’ children_ ”...Then again, maybe he could ? There had been precedents, he had read about them. Maybe he could try to convince the king  to rekindle with that particular aspect of the Old Age?though the royal act enacting it would of course need some changes, to fit not only the rules of the kingdom, but to abate the fears his fellow lords could and would have....

“ Would you like some strawberries and cream,  _Mon Seigneur_  ? '' said a voice interrupting his musing. Anthony frowned at the hint of sarcasm in the servant's tone. He turned his head slightly to glance at the face of the (very brave or very foolish) man.

Striking cerulean blue met dark brown. Anthony's eyes widened in recognition as he also took in the blond braided hair and a figure fairer than any human should be bestowed upon.

 _Steven._  

A mischievous glint shone in the younger man’s eyes,as dread and worry seized the Earl.

 ** _That._**   **Malapert. _Fool!_**

**Author's Note:**

> This is very loosely inspired by England history, in late 12th century/early 13th. Some things are accurate to that period, others are not.
> 
> -Janet is a countess by marriage. From what I found there was no feminine form of earl, countess was used.
> 
> -About Carol and Rhodey's children,Tony is referring to the adoption in what would be our Roman law, the legal system of ancient Rome, which he wanted to change slightly to fit their era.
> 
> -Strawberries and cream were actually part of that period feast. I choose them though because of Iron Man 2.
> 
> -Mon Seigneur, is french for My Lord. Noblemen were speaking french, and Steve is mocking them and Tony.


End file.
